1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blade inspection apparatus and particularly relates to a blade inspection apparatus for inspecting a blade of an engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in inspecting a blade of a jet engine and the like, such a practice that an endoscope is inserted into the jet engine, an inspection image of the blade is obtained, and the blade is inspected is widely performed.
In the blade inspection, an inspector inserts an insertion portion of the endoscope into a plurality of external access ports provided in a casing of the engine, and the inspector advances a distal end portion of the insertion portion to an observation target portion, while he/she watches the inspection image of an inside of the engine displayed on a monitor. That is, the inspector inserts the insertion portion into each of the external access ports, and the inspector inspects presence of a scratch and the like at a predetermined portion of the blade in the engine or over a predetermined inspection range from the predetermined portion, while he/she watches the inspection image displayed on the monitor.
Moreover, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-163723, a technology in which a fixing tool is attached to the external access port, and the insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted into the engine is proposed. The fixing tool is installed with two pressing plates brought into contact with a wall surface of the jet engine, and the insertion portion of the endoscope apparatus is inserted and fixed to the external access port.